Alarm in the garden! Birds in Bavaria: Recovery gear at Feldsperlingen!

Alarm in the garden! Birds in Bavaria: Recovery gear at Feldsperlingen!

Bayern, Deutschland - The participation campaign "Hour of the garden birds" produced sobering results this year. According to PNP were only observed on average 26 birds per garden, which corresponds to a decrease of eight birds compared to ten years ago. This number is the lowest that has been recorded since the beginning of the counting campaign. The acceptance of many bird species in cities and villages in Bavaria continues.

The main problems that contribute to reducing bird populations are a lack of hiding, breeding sites and especially food sources. The field sparrow and the green fink are particularly affected. The field sparrow suffers from a lack of food, since domestic wild herbs that offer essential food sources and the use of pesticides tighten the situation. The green fink could also be affected by various pathogens.

negative trends in different types of birds

The results of the count and reporting period ended on May 19 show negative trends in numerous bird species such as the field sparrow and amsins. Over 1.1 million birds were counted in almost 40,000 gardens and parks in Germany, with an average of almost two birds fewer per garden registered than in the previous year, where there were about 30 birds. This reports Nabu .

The decline in the amel population is particularly alarming, which, according to NABU bird expert Martin Rümmler, is negatively influenced by factors such as diseases, lack of food and climate conditions. The Usutu virus has led to a decrease of 31% in Amsel views in northern Germany. The swallows also show declining tendencies, with a minus of 9% in smoke and meal swallows and 6% for wall sailors.

meaning of urban habitats for birds

Urbanization changes the natural habitats of many bird species considerably. A study by the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research has shown that the frequency of prey such as insects and spiders is crucial for bird variety in urban areas. The availability of these natural food sources has a positive impact on the variety of birds, especially at low to medium urbanization degrees, as in iZW

Unfortunately, the variety of birds suffers in highly urbanized areas, where adaptable species dominate. Scientists recommend designing gardens as habitats for birds. These include domestic wildflowers, berry bushes, density hedges and dead wood. Such measures can transform gardens into green oases that not only bird, but also offer important functions in the settlement area.

The bird count is therefore not only a time-limited project, but an important Citizen Science project that has been carried out for 21 years in order to observe recurring developments in bird population and to develop solutions to protect these species.